Playing in the Woods

This is one of my favorite childhood memories, camping at Webster Park and playing in the woods. It was a woods of tall, old pine trees planted years before by the boy scouts. The ground was open, shady, and covered with pine needles. It was a wonderful place to play on a hot summer day. One summer we learned to build houses of sticks and pine cones. The cones were like logs for the walls, held up by little sticks on either side. We would lays sticks over the walls when they were finished and "roof" the house with a layer of pine needles. We cleared an area for a yard and strung leaves on another stick and hung them to "dry" in the yard like tobacco. I believe this is the only photo we have of this wonderful game. Too bad Dad didn't have a digital camera back then, we could have had a lot of fun!

Sorry for leaving you out of the photo, Priscilla. I wanted a close up of the house.

A Little Bit of Rain

After a beautiful weekend, we have had a few days of rain. The vegetables in my garden are loving it and so are the weeds. A garden reminds me of life because we just have to keep pulling out the worthless and tossing it aside in order to make room for what is good and necessary. We are enjoying some garden vegetables now, lettuce, spinach, radishes and beet greens, and soon there will be plenty of others to savor also. We love fresh salads and all of my kids are vegetable eaters, so it's a great thing to have a productive garden. I've never felt like I did a very good job growing things so this year has been very satisfying in that way.

This week I started watching two kids during the day. It is just a summer job so I won't have to worry about what to do come September and, hopefully, I will be able to put a little money aside to pay off some bills or put towards school books. It would be nice to know that our school books and supplies are paid for without having to bother James for the money. Getting used to two new kids in the house is proving to be a challenge even for my kids who are used to having things rather quiet. I think maybe the trickiest thing for me will be keeping them busy without having to be busy alongside them. I'm not used to that anymore either. Anyway, we are looking forward to some swimming adventures, some hiking trips, and maybe an outing or two to the park. God is good and He is able to keep us even when we aren't quite sure what to do ourselves.

Best of Friends

A masterpiece by Nathan...

Strawberries

This morning I decided that if I was to get any strawberries at all this year, today would have to be the day. I corralled Ben and Hannah and took them along to help. Josiah would have helped too but his work clothes were in the dryer and there wasn't time for him to run to the strawberry patch and back home again before work. It's a little late in the season to pick, so the berries weren't quite as big, but they weren't too bad. I'm planning on turning quite a few of them into jam. I love making jam in the middle of winter and giving the jars as holiday gifts. Mmmmm!!! Now I have my work cut out for me. I suppose that for most of the day I will be washing, hulling, and either cutting or crushing berries. No time to blog, I must get to work!











Later...
I spent the entire afternoon on my back porch, just where I love to be. First I fixed a nice cup of some fancy coffee, Rainforest Supreme, from Wegaman's, then I started washing the berries.
Once I had my giant Tupperware bowl full, I took my coffee and went out to the porch to relax and hull and cut berries. It really was a very nice afternoon and I love to sit on the back porch and do something productive. I now have five good sized bags of chopped strawberries for shortcake and two bags ready to make into strawberry jam whenever I'm ready.






Doing strawberries is always an all day kind of job but it only comes around once a year so I've set my mind to enjoy the work while I have it to do. The berries look, smell, and taste so yummy that it isn't hard to enjoy the job!

The Back Porch

Here I am, waiting for someone to stop by and visit for the afternoon. I've made a big pitcher of iced tea and set the chairs out. Do you think we'll need some brownies for the children to munch while we sit and talk? Oh, why not? Brownies are wonderful little treats, and who can resist their chocolatey goodness? Yikes! Maybe I'd better not make any until I know you're on your way.

I would have liked to have spent the afternoon at home but we were in need of cereal and pet food (along with a few other essentials), so we ventured out to the store late this morning and met James for lunch at the church. It feels like a great day to sit on the porch with a friend or two and enjoy both the summer heat and the occasional cool breeze. The kids have headed across the street for a swim and the house is silent, not such a rarity anymore but much enjoyed. Too bad there is so much cleaning to catch up with. I must get up and accomplish something here at home before the day is over. Now where did I put that box of brownie mix...

Jumanji Vine

James and I went out for lunch yesterday afternoon and then took a walk on a nature trail. It was a nice walk and again brought back childhood memories of playing in the woods. It was a nice relaxing time out together, so relaxing that I was having a tough time staying awake on the way home.

I tried to take some opictures but the squirrels wouldn't hold still. Instead I found this cool vine. It's a Jumanji vine, I think.

Last night we had the family and some friends over for supper and fixed strawberry shortcake for Nate's birthday dessert. He has it every year and we never get tired of it!

Surprise!

Well, today is our 25th wedding anniversary. Our kids threw us a wonderful surprise party down at the park on Sunday afternoon. Imagine using Father's Day as a cover! Hey, it worked and the party was a success. Although I knew they were scheming, somehow their dad thought they had forgotten all about us. Even knowing something was up, I didn't expect it to be on Father's Day, so I was surprised too. We even got to see some old friends which made it a bigger surprise. I'm not sure how all these people ever kept the secret for so long.

Happy Birthday, Natey Baby!

Today is Nathan's 16th birthday!

Now how'd he go 'n grow up so fast?

Don't seem fair now, does it?

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

Remember when everyone in the neighborhood rode a bicycle something like this? I had a green girl's bike that I got from my cousin, Pam. It was the best bicycle ever! How many people could you and your friends get on one bike? I remember riding triple on occasion (both the sissy bar and the handlebars helped out with that) but not farther than around the block. We usually came home woth bleeding knees and scraped up elbows. No wonder we crashed all the time and we had never even heard of a bicycle helmet.



My freind, Peggy, was about two years older than me and she would sit on the back of the seat with me in front of her. I would put my feet on top of hers on the pedals and we would feel like we were flying. These bikes held up great on trails through the woods or fields and were perfect for street riding too. Of course when we got a little older, we felt the need to trade the old bikes in for a ten- speed. Little did we know how much our old bicycles would be worth someday and how much we would miss them. I'm not sure my kids would be caught dead riding one, but we sure did love them. Give me a banana seat and a sissy bar anyday and we can all ride triple again. "Hey! Get your head out my way! I can't see where I'm going!"

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Corn and peas.

Thursday's Thirteen (On Friday)

Thirteen Things About Blogging-

1. Blogging helps get the thought out of your mind and into writing.
2. Requires a computer and working fingers.
3. Blogging enables one to visit another culture or country without leaving home.
4. It keeps me laughing.
5. Encourages me to think.
6. Blogging is a creative outlet.
7. Enables me to meet other people...
8. ... and gives me a little glimpse into someone else's world.
9. Could be a great family connection if everyone was involved.
10. Is a great place to post photographs.
11. Also a great way to keep updated on people who need prayer.
12. Can be very addicting...
13. ... and is "heaps" of fun!

Good Practice

I had fun sculpting these little figures yesterday. Unfortunately, when I went to bake them, they got tired, tipped over, and came out of the oven unable to stand up. Then I wasn't careful how I handled them and the big guy's head came off. So sad! I had to throw them in the garbage. Hopefully I learned something from the experience. Maybe I'll try again today...

Chicken Little or A Little Chicken?

I took the kids over to swim at Becky's this afternoon. While they took their "polar bear" swim (the waterwas only 71 degrees), I played with some polymer clay. I also brought along a book to read, a children's book, but found I had left my glasses at home. I don't know where because I was sure I had them along. I also took the camera, just in case anything interesting happened by. There is one lonely chicken over there, (too old to lay good eggs and too tough to eat) who seems to enjoy human company. It followed Ben around for a little bit reminding me of a song my father used to sing... " Please don't send my boy to prison, for there he shall never roam. My boy didn't steal that chicken, that chicken just followed him home."

Reading...

Just a silly little project I've been working on (actually a requst from my mom). I really need some new paintbrushes. It's no wonder I don't paint anything anymore. I think every brush I own has turned into a rake brush, bristles sticking out every which way. It's bad enough that I have a tough time keeping a steady hand.

Asking Questions

Reading about on the Blog has been somewhat informative lately. There are all kinds of discussions, questions, and regular conversations happening. From here in the US we can read the blogs of those in England or Australia, or anywhere else for that matter. There are theological debates, name the baby contests, and tips on where to find modest swimwear. Hmmm... What does make for an interesting blog? And just who do you want to connect with?

Utter Insanity

Hey, caption this shot!

James and Nathan arrived home safe yesterday afternoon. This is a photo Nate took while they were out driving. The driver of this little truck was going the same speed as everyone else, apparently oblivious to the danger he might pose to any and everyone who crossed his path. I hope he wasn't going too far! Kinda reminds me of some of the crazy movies we used to watch in our younger days... We laughed at the stupidity of the movie characters never realizing that there were idiots out there who did that stuff for real.

Happy Second Anniversary

Happy second anniversary to Dave and Leta! That's awesome!

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Well, the weather seems to be warming up again and James is on his way home. He called last night from somewhere in South Carolina, so I expect he will get here sometime today. Whether it will be late afternoon or evening, I haven't a clue, but he is on the way.

My sunburn has healed to the point of peeling and it's time to mow the lawn again. I think I'll keep my shoulders covered this time. Not only are they still sensitive but it's not quite warm enough for me to wear a tank top out there today. Besides, I think maybe my shoulders got enough sun last week to last them the whole summer...

Chilly Day

Today was rather chilly for being mid May. I looked at the newspaper online this morning and it said the temperature was 50 degrees with a "real feel" of 43. Brrrrrr! It was rainy, cold, and windy. Kind of reminded me of the "too nice" weather we had back in January. I knew it would catch up to us! The sunshine finally made its appearance round about noon and brought along some warmer temps. It was just warm enough for an outside picnic over at Priscilla's house. I think it will be rather cold again tonight, its down to 53 already. I hope my garden can handle it okay. I would be so sad to see all those yummy vegetable die.

Seeing Double

(I posted two of these pictures accidentally, honest!)

Today is an in-the-house kind of day. I did see the sun peeking through the clouds once or twice but the threat of rain is too obvious. It has sprinkled just enough to make the grass wet and is too cold to be out in the dampness for long. Yes, it's a good day for doing laundry, washing dishes and vacuuming. I do need to get out to the grocery store but that is going to wait until this evening. Hannah has gone to stay overnight with a friend so, with Joe at work, it's just Ben and me this afternoon.